It helps to get all your tax documents together before starting on your 2013 tax return. You’ll need your Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, which employers should send by the end of January. Give it a couple of weeks to arrive by mail.
If you haven’t received your W-2 by Feb. 14, follow these three steps:
Contact your employer first.
Ask your employer – or former employer – to send your W-2 if it hasn’t already been sent. Make sure your employer has your correct address.
Contact the IRS.
After February 14, you can call the IRS at 800- 829-1040 if you haven’t gotten your W-2. Be prepared to provide your name, address, Social Security number and phone number. You should also have the following information when you call: your employer’s name, address and phone number; your employment dates; and an estimate of your wages and federal income tax withheld in 2013, based upon your final pay stub or a pay statement, if available.
File your return on time.
You should still file your tax return on or before April 15, 2014, even if you haven’t yet gotten your W-2. File Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, in place of the W-2. Use the form to estimate your income and withholding taxes as accurately as possible. The IRS may delay processing your return while it verify your information.
If you need more time to file you can get a six-month extension of time. File Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Income Tax Return. You must file this form with the IRS by April 15, 2014.
If you receive the missing W-2 after filing your tax return and the information on the W-2 is different from what you reported us- ing Form 4852, then you must correct your tax return. File Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return to amend your tax return.
Forms and instructions are available at IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800- 829-3676).
